From 1842 the Board's history becomes far less obscure as its offices and
and members can be found in the Law lists and other directories.
A joint office for the Masters in Lunacy and Chancery Visitors
was
established at Lincolns Inn Fields. Henry Enfield became Chief Clerk to the Masters
and Secretary to the Visitors of Lunatics.
The ordinary Visitors were
Phillimore, Bright and Southey.
Edward Winslow and Barlow were appointed Masters in Lunacy. Both were
previously officers of the Lord Chancellor:
-
Winslow was Secretary for Bankrupts. He had also been (1832-1842)
one of the previous Masters (Commissioners) in Lunacy. He was an equity
draughtsman, a barrister of Lincolns Inn since 24.11.1826, practising from
6 Stone Buildings, Lincolns Inn (see Phillimore.
- Barlow was Secretary of Presentations
Law lists and other directories it appears Winslow was replaced as
Secretary for Bankrupts in 1842, but Barlow remained Secretary of
Presentations at least until 1845.
Barlow, Southey and bright were all Metropolitan Commissioners, so
from 1842 both medical Visitors and one Master in Lunacy were on both
Boards. In the same year, Somerset spoke in the House of Commons of the
possibility of amalgamating the two bodies
(
Hansard17.3.1842 col 803).
This was not to be, but the overlap of members seems to have been in part
an effort to consolidate their activities. (See Barlow's biography).
The 1845 Lunacy Act prohibited professional commissioners from holding any
other paid office (5S.2.3), so a Chancery Visitor could not be,
simultaneously, a professional Lunacy commissioner.
Bright
and
Southey
both
continued as Visitors and ceased being commissioners. Barlow continued as
an honorary commissioner until 1886, as a link between the two bodies.
1853 Under the
1853 Chancery Lunatics Act, section 20,
Masters and Visitors were required to meet as a Board, thus making practice
a statutory requirement. The Board remained, however, only an advisory
body.
1862 Westbury's
1862 Chancery Lunatics Act provided for three
full time Visitors, one legal and two medical, who were to visit every
Chancery lunatic twice a year. Pensions were provided for
Bright
and
Southey, whilst Dr
W.C. Hood, superintendent of
Bethlem, and Dr
J.C. Bucknill, superintendent of
Devon County
Asylum were appointed to replace them.